Lever catch



Patented Oct. 8, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a lever catch, the general object of the invention being to provide means for iirmly holding the dog of a lever in engagement with a tooth of the quadrant even though the teeth are worn.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of several parts, to be herein after fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and speciiically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawing wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Fig. l is a side View of a lever of an implement showing the invention in use.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view of the device.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view of the slide bar.

In this drawing, the numeral I indicates a lever of an implement which is provided with a dog 2 for engaging the teeth of. a quadrant 3 for holding the lever in adjusted position and holding a. plow or the like in a certain position. As is well known, thedog frequently slips so as to permit movement of the lever and the parts to which it is attached, particularly when the teeth of the quadrant become worn. It is the object of my invention to prevent this slipping of the dog from engagement with a tooth and in carrying out my invention, I provide a supporting plate 4 provided with a pair oi U-shaped brackets 5 which are adapted to be clamped to a portion of the lever bar by bolts 6 passing through holes in the ends of the limbs of the brackets, the brackets being slightly resilient to permit this clamping action. A long bar 'I and a short bar 8 are attached to the plate ll in spaced relation to form a guideway for a slide bar 9, a lower plate lil being connected to the lower ends of the bars 'I and 8 and bridging the guideway for holding the bar 9 in position. An elongated notch I I is formed in one side edge of the upper portion of the slide bar 9 and forms a shoulder I2 for engagement by a latch I3 pivotally supported by the plate 4 and by a part I 4 above the short bar 8, the latch being normally held in engagement with the shoulder by a spring I5. A clip I6 is fastenedto the upper end of the slide bar 9 and has aA sliding iit over the upper portion of the bar 'I and a plate I'I has one of its upper corners pivoted to the slide bar, the lower part of the plate having a slightly arcuate shaped slot I8 therein through which a pin I9 on the slide bar passes. A pin or projection 25 is carried by the latch and is engaged by an edge of the plate I1. A wire or rod 2I is connected to the other of the corner of the plate Il and to the operating handle 22 of the lever and a link 23 connects the lower end of the slide bar 9 with 5 the dog 2.

Thus it will be seen that when the handle member 22 is pressed upon, a pull is exerted upon the member 2l which rocks plate I'I on its pivot I1 and this rocking movement of the plate moves l0 the latch I3 to released position by engagement of the pin by the lower side edge and the rounded lower edge of the plate and as soon as the latch is moved to inoperative position, the slide bar with the parts attached thereto are lifted and this rais- 15 ing of the slide bar moves the dog 2 to the released position, so that the lever I can be adjusted. When the member 22 is released, the parts are moved downwardly by a spring 25 having one end attached to the upper bracket 5 and the other end 20 to the member 2 I and as soon as this slide bar has its shoulder I2 moved past the latch, the spring I5 will move the latch to holding position as shown in Fig. 2.

Thus the device will firmly hold the dog 2 in 25 engagement with the teeth of the quadrant 3 and eliminate the danger of the lever I moving out of adjusted position.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be p made in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device for holding a dog of a lever in engagement with a tooth of a quadrant comprising a supporting member adapted to be attached to the lever, a slide bar carried by the supporting member, a link for connecting one end oi the slide bar to the dog, a spring actuated latch member for holding the slide bar in lowered position, a cam member pivoted to the upper portion of the slide bar and engaging a part on the latch member for swinging the same to released position and a link for connecting the cam member to a pivoted handie member of the lever.

2. A device for holding a dog of a lever in engagement with a tooth of a quadrant comprising a supporting plate, brackets for connecting the plate to a part of the lever, guideway forming members carried by the plate, a slide bar slidably arranged in the guideways, means for connecting 66 the ilower end of the slide bar to the dog, said by the cam plate when the sameris swung outslide bar having a shoulder thereon, a Vspring aowardly for moving the latch to released position. tuated latch carried by the plate and engaging the and means for connecting the cam plate to a. pivshoulder for holding the slide bar in lowered posioted handle member at the upper end of the lever'.V

V5 tion, a cam plate pivoted to an upper portion of the slide bar, a projection on the latch engaged HARRY JAHNKE. 

